The narrative skips forward to early in the New Year, when Amanda has served her notice at the Senior Center and found another job. Although she and Eve act like everything is okay on the surface; they both know that Amanda left because of the awkwardness following the threesome at Eve’s house. The attraction between them proved to be short-lived, because it had faded by the time of the tipsy kiss in Eve’s office at the Christmas party.

Eve blames herself and her own loneliness for the threesome and takes responsibility for it because she is older than the other participants. Going back to the night of the party, Brendan arrived home when Amanda had gone, but Julian was sleeping naked in his bed, a roll of condoms at his side. Eve had made some excuse about Julian hooking up with a girl from their Gender and Society class.

That night, Brendan insists that he is quitting college, without ever giving her a “convincing explanation” (235). Both Brendan’s guidance advisor and his father, Ted, support his decision to drop out. Brendan bursts into tears, fearing that he has disappointed them, and he and Eve drive back to campus to pick up his stuff.